


love is a song that never ends

by goesonfordaes



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, assorted drabbles and ideas that will never grow into full fics, just baekchen in love :)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2020-01-11 03:45:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18422163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goesonfordaes/pseuds/goesonfordaes
Summary: baekhyun will always love jongdae, and jongdae will always love baekhyun. no matter the year, time, season, weather, universe.collection of baekchen drabbles :)





	1. my Love for you will never fade

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ: the first three chapters are baekchen drabbles I've already published but the rest are new-so if you've already read the first three, just skip to the fourth chapter. I decided to compress all of my drabbles into one "fic" for convenience's sake. if you want me to extend the drabbles into another fic, just comment and I'll consider it. happy reading! :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> loving jongdae means love with a capital L

Love, Baekhyun thinks, is that perfect shade of rosy pink that colors the sky as the sun sets. Love is the gentle flutter of a breeze that whips through the early summer. The rustle of white sheets and the clear light of early morning.

Love is also the brightness of Jongdae’s smile whenever he looks at him. The feeling of Jongdae’s small hand in his own pulling him forward. The way he throws himself into Baekhyun’s arms regardless of the situation, knowing Baekhyun will catch him no matter what. How Jongdae looks at him when he thinks Baekhyun’s not looking; like Baekhyun hung the moon and stars into place.

Everytime Jongdae looks at him, speaks to him, smiles at him, a thrill runs down his spine like it’s the first time. It’s horribly cliche, something straight out of a romance novel, but Baekhyun had known Jongdae was special since they’d first locked eyes. It should’ve been nothing special, the two of them at one of many typical college parties where the floor was covered in mysterious sludge and the temperature rose to an unbearable degree as people clumsily moved together. But between the flash of one strobe light and the next, he had caught Baekhyun’s eye, and it seemed like the world stopped turning for a moment. Jongdae’s smile was so bright it cut through the haze of Baekhyun’s mind and made his breath hitch. In the space of one breath and the next, time was suspended, and it seemed like strings should sing out in harmony, heralding the arrival of something great and profound and too beautiful for words.

There’s a certain sense of grandeur that comes with Loving Jongdae, Baekhyun thinks. It’s no longer love with a lowercase l - everything is too all-encompassing and important for that, so out of place in their mundane lives in this mundane world. It’s the kind of Love that Baekhyun knows has ingrained itself in his bones and seeped into his bloodstream, the kind of Love that will never leave him. It’s freeing, exhilarating, magnificent to Love someone like this.

To him, there’s beauty in everything they share between them, whether it be a word or a breath or something unspoken. Memories are tinged pink through his rose-colored glasses: their first date, in a shitty little diner in their shitty college town, where Jongdae lit up the entire room when he laughed at one of Baekhyun’s jokes. The way Jongdae smiles and says his name every morning, soft and raspy, the syllables dropping from his lips in a way no one else’s does. The way he’d held Baekhyun’s hand and let him twist the rings on his fingers as they laid out on the grass when the first warm day of the year came. The way he’d first said I Love you, on the way back from a date in that same shitty little diner, with no fear and no hesitation, on a balmy summer night where dusk was first turning into night and when the sparkles in his eyes outshone the stars.

Jongdae is so easy to Love, everything coming as naturally as breathing or speaking or singing. Had been since they first met. Their friends say Baekhyun wears his heart on his sleeve and gives it away far too easily, but with Jongdae Baekhyun truly couldn’t help it. Jongdae just made it so simple, with his soft words and kind smiles and loud laughter, arm slung around Baekhyun’s shoulder and pulling him in. And now, Baekhyun can’t imagine his life without him anymore. He never thought he’d end up being one of  _those_ people, but here he is anyway. Just one more thing to chalk up to the magic of Jongdae’s smile.

Jongdae makes Baekhyun want to do all manner of stupid things just to impress him-climb Mt. Everest, write cheesy poetry about Jongdae’s smile and yell the lyrics for the whole world to hear, start doing parkour around campus. He also makes Baekhyun want to spend the rest his life in Jongdae’s arms, feeling the vibrations of Jongdae’s chest as he hums and the warmth of his body pressed against his own. It’s the perfect push and pull between ridiculous and tender, but Baekhyun wouldn’t have it any other way.

He smiles absently to himself, pressing his lips together as he sits on the library steps. The sky is a beautiful pink as the sun starts to dip behind the horizon, fluffy white clouds floating by. A gust of wind cuts through the summer night air, ruffling Baekhyun’s hair, and he sighs happily, letting his eyes close.

“Baekhyun!” Jongdae calls out from a distance, and Baekhyun cracks open an eye, seeing his boyfriend wave excitedly. Baekhyun heaves himself to his feet, smile springing unbidden onto his face as Jongdae hurries towards him. Jongdae grins back, a white flash of teeth peeking out and lips curling, before holding out his hands to draw Baekhyun in close.

“I missed you,” he says, earnestness pouring out of his tone, and Baekhyun laughs.

“You saw me this morning!” he teases, and Jongdae smiles back shyly, rose tingeing his cheeks.

“Doesn’t mean I didn’t miss you,” Jongdae replies, that fond smile that makes Baekhyun melt appearing briefly before he leans in.

And as their lips meet and the sky becomes tinged with the soft pink lavender of dusk, Baekhyun knows he wouldn’t wish to have any other Love but this.


	2. there's no brighter star in the sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> no matter what jongdae says, baekhyun is convinced no constellation matters more than jongdae and that no star could outshine him

The stars are bright tonight, far from the city lights, the sky an inky blue so dark it could be black. It’s almost too cold to be out laying in the grass, camping like children, except Baekhyun has Jongdae nestled against him. He can’t help but sneak glances at Jongdae, at the wonder in his eyes as he stares at the world above. Jongdae always catches him, redirecting him with a light smack and a reproving look, belied by the smile that plays around his lips.

“Don’t look at me, look up, Baekhyun. You don’t get to see this everyday,” Jongdae reprimands.

“But the stars don’t shine as brightly as you, baby,” Baekhyun says, winking greasily.

Jongdae lets out a bark of laughter. “God, you’re so cheesy. Where do you come up with these?”

“The fountain of my love springs forth, ever bountiful.” That earns him a real whack on the arm, but Jongdae’s eyes are crinkled in amusement, so Baekhyun counts it as a win.

“We didn’t drive all this way for you just to look at me, stupid. You can never see the constellations like this in the city. Try to appreciate them.”

“But I don’t need them, because you’re the brightest star in my sky,” Baekhyun manages to get out, snickering as he rolls away to try and futilely avoid his boyfriend’s flailing hands.

“Byun Baekhyun, you are the  _worst,”_ Jongdae sighs. “Come on. Let me show you.”

Never one to refuse Jongdae anything, Baekhyun lets himself rest his head on Jongdae’s chest, feeling the rumbling of his boyfriend’s voice as he patiently explains, pointing up, “So right above us is Andromeda. See, right there you can kind of see the stars that makes up her head.”

Baekhyun squints upwards. “Looks more like a triangle to me.”

Jongdae lets out another long suffering sigh. “Try to have an imagination for a second, will you? Here. Trace it with me.”

Baekhyun shifts, body pressed against Jongdae as he looks upwards. His boyfriends points up, and Baekhyun dutifully copies his motions. “Okay, that star right there? Now follow it kind of on a diagonal. There’s another one. Then if you go down there’s another one. Can you see the zig zagging pattern?”

Baekhyun nods, although he has no clue. He doesn’t understand how Jongdae can pick these out. Abandoning any pretense of looking at the stars, he goes back to staring at Jongdae- at the peaceful little smile on his face, how the stars are reflected in his eyes, the way he’s loose limbed and relaxed like he rarely is in the city.

It’s right then and there that Baekhyun decides they’re going to make this little road trip a habit. It doesn’t have to be to this exact spot-maybe they’ll go to the sea, or the mountains-but when the world looks like it weighs too heavy on Jongdae’s shoulders, and that the concrete and steel that surrounds them seems like its pressing in too close, Baekhyun is going to whisk Jongdae away somewhere. Just so he can see him like this.

Stretching out a hand, he presses it gently against the corner of Jongdae’s mouth, right where his lip naturally curls upwards. Jongdae doesn’t do anything, but shifts to face Baekhyun and lets him have his way. Lets Baekhyun’s elegant fingers flutter on the tops of his cheekbones, the curve of his jaw, the ridge of his ear, before returning to his mouth, obsessively tracing the outline of Jongdae’s top lip.

“What are you doing, Baekhyun?” Jongdae finally asks, voice quiet in the silence of the night.

“Tracing the outline of my favorite constellation,” Baekhyun says, a crookedly charming smile appearing on his face.

Jongdae huffs out a laugh of disbelief, before pressing a kiss on the side of Baekhyun’s hand. “How can you say such horrible things with a straight face,” he murmurs, but there’s a matching lopsided grin on his face.

“Hmm,” Baekhyun pretends to think. “Just the magic of love, I guess.”

“There’s nothing magical about anything you’ve said,” Jongdae retorts, before Baekhyun cuts him off with a gentle kiss, brushing Jongdae’s hair away from his face.

“Have I ever told you you’re beautiful?” he says after they break apart.

“Not enough,” Jongdae teases, slightly breathless, before he’s rolling over Baekhyun, propping himself up on his arms. Baekhyun stares up at him, frozen by the way Jongdae’s quiet beauty never fails to take his breath away in the most unexpected moments. The way the stars ring Jongdae’s head like a halo, the way he dark hair hangs in front of his eyes, how his lashes flutter against the tops of his cheekbones. It’s an effortless sort of etherealism Baekhyun is always stunned by, especially because Jongdae never seems to realize it himself. All these thoughts are chased out of his mind as soon as Jongdae leans down and lets their lips meet, his mind shorting out at the slick, easy slide of their kisses.

Jongdae tastes like the few beers they had an hour earlier and smells like a campfire and wet grass, but there’s also that underlying sense of _Jongdae_ that lets Baekhyun know he’s home. The smell of the laundry detergent they use at home, the familiar weight of Jongdae’s body on top of his, the way Jongdae knows that Baekhyun likes it when he trails kisses down his neck and tugs his hair a bit. Just like Jongdae knows Baekhyun likes the fancy shampoo he buys and permanently tastes of coffee and how he likes it when Jongdae nips on his bottom lip. They know each other inside and out, can predict what they other will say, immediately tell when they’ve had a bad day from the slightest downward twitch of the mouth. It’s the best kind of love when you’re in love with your best friend, Baekhyun firmly asserts.

Jongdae sighs all of the sudden, letting his body weight flop onto Baekhyun. Baekhyun twines his arms around Jongdae, letting Jongdae tuck his head into the crook of Baekhyun’s neck.

“Thank you,” Jongdae mumbles against Baekhyun’s neck, lips curving into a smile.

“For what?” Baekhyun asks, absentmindedly running a hand up and down the ridge of Jongdae’s spine.

“For bringing me out here. For listening to me ramble about stars even though I know you couldn’t care less. For helping me clear my head,” Jongdae says sleepily.

“Of course, Dae,” Baekhyun whispers. “Anything for you.”

Jongdae doesn’t respond, but the peaceful smile on his face and the steady up-down of his chest as he breathes says it all for Baekhyun.


	3. first snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they've been doing this forever, and baekhyun's not about to let jongdae sleeping in spoil their fun

“Wake up, Jongdae,” Baekhyun breathes excitedly in Jongdae’s ear. Jongdae grumbles, swatting vaguely in Baekhyun’s direction as he rolls over.

“It’s too early,” Jongdae mumbles, trying to pull the covers over himself, but Baekhyun mercilessly rips them away.

“It’s never too early for that Christmas spirit, baby!” Baekhyun exclaims, and Jongdae slides an eye open to glare at him. If looks could kill, Baekhyun would have been long dead by now. But they don’t, luckily for Baekhyun’s health, so he will continue to annoy his husband.

Jongdae sticks his tongue out at him, still thoroughly unamused, but at least he’s awake. “What time is it again?” he asks, rubbing his eyes.

“Unimportant!” Baekhyun assures him, and Jongdae looks up at him, reluctant smile tugging his mouth upwards.

“So unreasonably early, I’m guessing?”

“Yep!” Baekhyun says cheerfully, and Jongdae rolls his eyes fondly.

“Times like these, I don’t know why I love you,” he sighs, but he pulls Baekhyun down for a kiss anyway. Baekhyun makes a noise of surprise before melting into Jongdae’s kiss, humming happily as Jongdae nips at his bottom lip. Jongdae tastes like sleep and something sour, but the heat of his mouth never fails to makes Baekhyun shiver.

“What was that for?” Baekhyun asks when Jongdae pulls back with a smirk, too breathless for such a short kiss.

“Just because,” Jongdae replies simply, grin playing around his mouth as he takes in Baekhyun’s flushed face.  

“Very nice, dear, but maybe think about brushing your teeth before you do that again,” Baekhyun playfully scolds, and Jongdae just smiles a little wider.

“Consider it payback,” he says primly, stretching, and Baekhyun has to force himself not to zero in on the strip of skin that is revealed. Jongdae senses him anyway, catching him and winking greasily.

“Like what you see, baby?” he asks, and Baekhyun snorts, pointedly ignoring Jongdae as he breezes out of the room.

“Put some real clothes on,” he calls out over his shoulder. “We’re going out. It’s the first real snow.”

“Really?” he hears Jongdae say excitedly, sounding very childlike, and he has to suppress the smile that springs onto his face.

They’ve been doing this for as long as they’ve been friends (which is to say, a very long time). When the first real snow falls, they go together to enjoy the winter air and enjoy the season. It’s all very sappy and sentimental, which is maybe why they like it so much.

Jongdae emerges in record time, parka on and flannel pants tucked into his winter boots, and maybe he looks kind of stupid but it’s also kind of cute. Plus, Baekhyun has no legs to stand on given he’s wearing practically the same outfit. He lets himself fuss over Jongdae for a second, wrapping a scarf around his neck and tucking it in, and in return lets Jongdae place a hat with a ridiculous puff ball on top of his head and puts on the mittens Jongdae hands him. Looking rather ridiculous, they open their door to the sharp winter air and step into the backyard.

Baekhyun has always loved to happily forge his way, considering ruining the pristine snowfall an important mission in life. In contrast, Jongdae’s always has that initial hesitation before making the first step and ruining the perfection of the snow. Some things never change. For a moment, Baekhyun has the odd experience of seeing Jongdae when they were children, swaddled in a million layers, his brow furrowed in concentration as he stared at the snow before him, overlayed with Jongdae now, all grown up but with that same expression on his face.

They’ve known each other for so long, Baekhyun reflects. Ever since the first day of grade school, when Baekhyun was the kid with the big eyes and the constant need to make himself heard and Jongdae laughed at all of his jokes, lips curling upwards and eyes crinkling. It’s surprising how little has changed, despite the years. Except now Baekhyun knows why he felt an odd fluttering in his stomach when Jongdae grinned at him, and they’re married for real instead of just under the playground slide.

Jongdae always knows when Baekhyun is looking at him, a product of being each other’s best friends for so long, and this time is no different. Seeing Baekhyun’s eyes on him, Jongdae flashes him a grin, and Baekhyun is helpless to do anything but smile back.

Jongdae’s smile turns devious, and Baekhyun barely has any warning before Jongdae is leaping at him, a handful of snow flying in his face.

“Jongdae!” Baekhyun spits out, desperately trying to stop snow from sneaking its way inside his coat. “I thought our vows said to love and support each other!”

Jongdae just giggles, already readying his next handful of snow with that bright smile Baekhyun loves. He just loves it more when Jongdae’s not trying to assassinate him. Death by snow isn’t exactly what Baekhyun was planning to put on his tombstone.

Baekhyun desperately sheds his stupid mittens, scooping up the biggest chunk of snow he can and flinging it at Jongdae. Despite his truly crappy aim, it manages to hit Jongdae in the forehead.

It doesn’t seem to dissuade Jongdae but instead encourages him. He advances, a mischievous smile on his face, and Baekhyun tries to scamper away. Jongdae is surprisingly nimble at this hour, and manages to shove him, but Baekhyun grabs his sleeve and tugs him down with him, snow doing little to cushion their fall. Jongdae shrieks, but he lands next to Baekhyun with a smile, snow crunching underneath his body.

Baekhyun lets himself laugh, ignoring the cold seeping in on his back. Jongdae laughs as well, propping himself up to look at Baekhyun, peering down at Baekhyun, face peeking out from the ring of fur attached to his hood, smiling fondly down at him.

Baekhyun’s breath catches, on the rosiness of Jongdae’s cheeks and the sparkle in his eyes and the snowflakes caught on his eye lashes and in his hair, but mostly on the look of a love so powerful it drowns everything else out that Jongdae is directing at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?” he breathes out as Jongdae lets a thumb brush against Baekhyun’s bottom lip.

“Because I love you,” Jongdae says simply, and he leans down to press his lips against Baekhyun’s.

And Jongdae still tastes sour and there’s definitely snow in his coat given the painful iciness around his neck, but Baekhyun can’t find it within himself to care when he has Jongdae wrapped in his arms.


	4. f is for family (or to pay respects)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jongdae falls in love with baekhyun all over again at 2 in the morning to the sound of their daughter's breathing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy very late birthday to my lovely cat! thank you so much for being a loving, supportive friend-i hope this next year brings you lots of happiness. as i said, i can't give you much, but i can give you roughly 1,100 words of married baekchen with a baby.

Jongdae is woken up, as he is most nights, by the sound of his daughter crying. Sighing wearily, he rolls over and squints at the clock. Blurry numbers glare back at him, reading some time just past two. Pressing the heels of his palm into his eyes, Jongdae tries to force away some of the fog clouding his mind as he sits up. Hayoon just cries louder, if that’s possible, and Jongdae sighs again. God knows he loves his daughter, but at times like this there’s nothing he’d like to do better than ignore her and go back to sleep.

The mattress shifts behind him, Baekhyun letting out a sleepy murmur. “What is it?” he asks, words slurred and voice thick with sleep. Jongdae absentmindedly turns around, reaching out a hand and patting Baekhyun’s leg.

“It’s Hayoon. Just go back to bed, I’ve got her.”

Baekhyun blinks awake at that, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “Hey, hey, no, I’ve got it. You’ve got that presentation tomorrow, you need your sleep.”

“Are you sure?” Jongdae asks.

Baekhyun blinks at him, that smile that Jongdae fell in love with spreading across his features. “Yeah, I’m sure.” Seemingly reading Jongdae’s mind, he reaches out and squeezes Jongdae’s hand. “It’s alright, Dae.”

Jongdae doesn’t need to be told twice, pecking Baekhyun on the cheek before collapsing back into the sheets, limbs heavy. The mattress shifts again as Baekhyun climbs out, the sound of his footsteps fading as he goes towards their daughter. Faintly, a door creaks open, and Jongdae can hear Baekhyun murmuring soothingly to Hayoon. Her cries quiet, so Jongdae rolls over and pulls the covers back up, ready to blissfully sink back into sleep.

The baby monitor crackles, and Jongdae opens his eyes again, reaching out to grab it and check on them. Baekhyun is bouncing Hayoon up and down, seemingly singing to her, and there is the most content look on his face as he looks down at their daughter. Jongdae feels his heart stutter, chest seizing up for a moment before it restarts. As an art history professor he’s seen thousands of renditions of the Madonna and Child, but he thinks Baekhyun beats every single one of them-the Virgin Mary’s got nothing on him. It’s that sort of blissful love that makes Baekhyun glow, even through the shitty quality of the screen and the bags under his eyes.

Not for the first time, Jongdae wonders how he managed to get so lucky. Sometimes he feels like he doesn’t deserve Baekhyun, blown over by the love and light that radiates off of him.

It was a long road getting here, but they somehow made it. Hayoon completed the picture; a puzzle piece they didn’t know they were missing. Jongdae has always loved children, and when they managed to get Hayoon, he nearly burst at the seams. Baekhyun had been a little more cautious, but Jongdae knows he fell in love with her as soon as Jongdae showed him a picture. And that’s why it hurt him so badly when Hayoon clearly preferred Jongdae. He remembers the way Baekhyun’s hands shook before he would hold Hayoon. The way his smile would collapse and then rebuild, slightly fractured, every time she cried when Jongdae handed her over. How he felt like a failure, rejected by someone he so desperately wanted to love him. Baekhyun’s always worn his heart on his sleeve, and it tore them apart to see Baekhyun crushed by one of the people he loved most in the world. But when Hayoon smiled at Baekhyun, Jongdae saw all those troubles melt away.

The monitor crackles again and Jongdae refocuses his attention on it. Baekhyun has managed to lull Hayoon back to sleep and puts her back down in her crib, slowly and carefully. Yet with that sixth sense babies seem to possess, Hayoon immediately wakes up as soon as her back hits the mattress. Her chubby little hands grab the railing and haul her body up so she can make her displeasure fully known, crying for her father.

Baekhyun stares down at her for a second, before he’s vaulting over the railing and somehow fitting himself into her crib. He pulls Hayoon down onto his chest, stroking her back, and she stops fidgeting, soothed by her father’s heartbeat. Jongdae feels his heart swell, growing nearly too big for his chest at the sight. He can’t even put it into words, how much the sight affects him. It feels like an overwhelming wave of affection, sweeping away everything else and narrowing his world down to his husband and his daughter. If he wasn’t already so in love with Baekhyun, he would’ve fallen in love all over again right then and there.

Putting the baby monitor back on its stand, he gets up, walking as quietly as he can to Hayoon’s room. The door creaks as he opens it, and he winces, praying it hasn’t woken her up. He sighs in relief as he hears no cry, and creeps over to the side of the crib.

“What are you doing here?” Baekhyun whispers in confusion. “Go back to bed baby.”

“Just wanted to see my two favorite people in the world,” Jongdae answers back, and Baekhyun pretends not to grin fondly as he rolls his eyes. They sit in the silence for a moment, watching Hayoon sleep and listening to her breathing, before Jongdae murmurs, “Baek, come back to bed. Bring Hayoon too.”

“I thought we said we were trying to get her to sleep in her own bed?” Baekhyun asks.

“Tonight is special. It can be an exception.” Baekhyun smiles at that, soft and slow and so full of love Jongdae’s breath hitches, constantly taken aback by the beauty that is his husband-fluffy messy hair, eyes crinkled into crescents, practically luminescent in the faint moonlight. There’s no way he could live without him or ever grow bored of him; Baekhyun is endlessly surprising and fascinating and just when Jongdae thinks he knows all there is to know about his husband there is something else, something new.

Baekhyun lifts Hayoon into Jongdae’s arms, and Jongdae lets her head settle onto his shoulder, firmly supporting her in his arms. She’s a comforting weight, heavier day by day in his arms, and Jongdae doesn’t want to think about the time that will eventually come when he can’t lift her anymore, can’t easily tuck her into himself. Baekhyun follows Jongdae, a hand skittering featherlight touches along Jongdae’s waist as they walk back to their bedroom.

They curl around Hayoon, twin crescents, and Jongdae brushes a hand against her soft cheek. She’s their little girl, but one day she won’t be so little, so Jongdae takes this moment and stores it away for darker, future days. She shifts, gurgling slightly, and Baekhyun smiles at that.

Jongdae flicks his eyes upwards towards his husband. “You know I love you, right?”

Baekhyun smiles at him, bright enough to illuminate their dark room. “I know. I love you too.”

Nothing else needs to be said.


	5. the burning sun is setting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> baekhyun always knew his time--their time--would come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy belated birthday julia!!!! thank you for being such a lovely and supportive friend-i'm endlessly grateful for you you hag (hag said as lovingly as possible)

The end of the world takes Baekhyun to Almaty.

It’s not the end of the world in the fire and brimstone sense, or what you see on the Walking Dead. It’s more like the end of a long sigh--the last sputtering vestiges of life as the old era dies to usher in the new one. Baekhyun can feel it, feel the decay seeping into his bones and down to his marrow, crawling up his chest and slowly but surely creating a noose that will choke the air from his lungs.

His fist tightens around the strip of paper curled in his palm, the paper worn from the number of times he’s held it in his hand and stared at Jongdae’s messy scrawl, alternating between folding and unfolding, creasing and smoothing out the paper as if it will change the message written on it. Before he can think about it too much, he yanks his notebook out from his carry on and shoves the paper in it. He sees his own writing, some of it fading with age, and shuts it before a dull ache shoots through his head.

Baekhyun’s forgetting things. He knows he is. He feels like if you held his memory up, wind and sun would flutter through it like a moth eaten shirt. He started keeping a notebook centuries ago, and he knows Jongdae had too. Gripping the leather cover of the notebook a little more tightly, he tries to breathe out, ease the tightness in his chest that’s whispering to him, _you’re too late, you’re too late._ It’s a long flight from Lyon to Almaty, and every second is precious. They’re running out of time. Sooner or later, they will all be snuffed out like a candle.

_He’s walking through the cobbled streets of Lyon, as familiar to him as the back of his hand or the crinkles of Jongdae’s eyes when he smiles. There’s some bubblegum pop song blaring into his ears and the night air is cool against his skin, and all is right with his world._

_That’s when the streetlight above his head flickers. Baekhyun slows in confusion, something akin to panic starting to thrum under his skin as it goes out. And then another one. And another. Until Baekhyun is plunged into unnatural darkness, the kind you can’t even see depth or variations of color in, the kind that seems to even muffle sound._

_So Baekhyun runs, for the night is dark and full of terrors._

_There’s an awful screeching behind him, like nails on a chalkboard, the sound echoing through his ears and reverberating in his skull. He’s too weak, his own decay too far gone to do more than summon a few particles of light to form a pitiful shield. Dashing up the steps of the cathedral, he throws all his remaining strength into slamming the heavy doors closed behind him. He allows himself a wry smile as he sinks to the ground, breathing heavily. The doors shake behind him, the wood creaking--holy ground is still safe, it seems, but not for long._

_As he takes refuge in the church that night, Jongdae’s message is brought in by wind and storm, whirling through the sky with a clap of thunder. Baekhyun opens it with shaking hands to read_ “the burning sun it setting”. _And Baekhyun knows it's their time._

“Nervous flyer?” the man next to him asks, noticing Baekhyun’s hands clenching the arm rest.

Baekhyun tries to smile but he feels like it comes off more like a grimace. “Something like that,” he responds.

When they land, Baekhyun is one of the first off, racing out of the terminal and into the fresh air. The bell tower tolls above him, each clang heralding the passing of time and matching his thundering heartbeat. They’d all separated in the middle of the century, dispersing themselves across a dying world that needed more help than they could give. There was a time he and Jongdae were inseparable, and now Baekhyun isn’t even sure what he looks like. He’s gotten used to scouring newspapers for a glimpse of high cheekbones and a mischievously upturned mouth and rereading his journals, reminiscing over times long gone.

_Jongdae’s hair was gold in that era, so bright when the sun hit it it looked like beaten copper. He was golden, radiating so much light and life it was nearly overwhelming. Baekhyun couldn’t help but laugh and chase after him, crossing the hills of Greece with arms outstretched, lips landing wherever they could--Jongdae’s cheek, the corner of his lips, his nose, a scrap of his chiton. Baekhyun would take Jongdae any way he could._

The bell tower tolls again, the wind picking up and whipping Baekhyun’s hair into disarray. Clouds cover the sky, and Baekhyun casts his gaze up to the heavens as the moon covers the sun, casting Almaty into darkness.

That darkness sends a prickle of fear up his spine and makes him pick up his pace, the cobblestones clicking underneath his feet. The closer he draws to the bell tower, the more he feels something thrumming underneath his skin, an energy signature all too familiar that he feared lost. There’s a dilapidated building near the bell tower that calls to him, and Baekhyun doesn’t question his instincts, entering and immediately starting to climb the ruined stairwell. The walls are covered in peeling paint and the metal railings are rusted as Baekhyun takes the stairs two at a time, panicking. _What if they’ve come for him, what if they’ve come for Jongdae, what if he’s so close but not close enough?_

He bursts onto the roof, blinking at the weak sunlight starting to reemerge. There’s notebooks scattered all over the balcony, pages covered with Jongdae’s handwriting fluttering in the wind, and sheets strung across clotheslines. Jongdae is so close; Baekhyun can feel it in the frantic nervous energy crackling through his nerves. He starts tearing through the sheets, a scream caught in the back of his throat. _So close so close so close Jongdae where are you I’m so close!_

Just as the eclipse passes and the sun shines with full force again, Baekhyun tears down one last sheet to see someone undeniably Jongdae, standing with the sunlight casting a halo around his form.

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun can’t stop himself from sighing, and Jongdae turns, straight brows raising in surprise. The notebook in his hand falls, and Baekhyun can’t stop himself from careening into Jongdae’s waiting embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i might do more drabbles based on this so uh lmk if you're interested in that ig


	6. christmas day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongdae and Baekhyun had told their kids not to wake them up before 8am. As Jongdae wakes up, he realizes he should've expected something like this. 
> 
> inspired by the story my friend told me of how she and her brother would sit in front of her parent's bedroom and sing Christmas carols until they got up :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no excuse. have some tooth-rotting fluff

At first Jongdae thinks he and Baekhyun fell asleep with the TV on, because he can definitely hear Disney songs echoing softly throughout their room. “Baek, turn the TV off,” he grumbles, rolling over and whacking his husband, yanking a pillow over his head to muffle the sound.

“Hrrngh?” Baekhyun mumbles, hand emerging from the cover to wave in his direction. “Wawazatfor?” he slurs. 

The voice crescendos, and Jongdae has a moment of realization at the sweetly toneless way of singing that all children share that it’s their daughter outside their door, mouth probably pressed against the keyhole, warbling Frozen songs at them. Stretching his arm out and grabbing his phone, he squints at the sudden brightness and sees that it’s just before 7.  _ It could be worse, _ he sighs to himself. 

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he stretches his arms up, wincing at the unpleasant crack that his back makes. There’s a squeal of surprise and the pitter patter of little feet as he steps on the creaky hardwood, and Jongdae fights down the smile on his face. Opening the door of his bedroom, he crosses his arms, doing his best to frown. “Didn’t Papa and I say not to wake us up until at least 8?”

Hayoon blinks innocently back up at him from where she’s sitting on the floor. “But we didn’t! We were just singing!” She clumsily pushes her tangled hair out of her face, Myungdae copying her. Jongdae can’t keep back his smile any longer, cooing at his children. They’ll only be kids for so long, anyways, and one day this will just be another cute, slightly embarrassing story he can whip out around the holidays. 

“Since I’m up, why don’t we get Papa up then, hmm?” he asks, leaning down to scoop Myungdae up. “Then we can open up presents.” 

Hayoon gasps, eyes brightening, and scampers into their room, throwing herself at the lump under the covers. Jongdae follows at a more sedate pace, Myungdae clutching onto his neck and watching everything with wide eyes, pacifier firmly stuck in his mouth. 

“Papa wake up!” Hayoon cries, bouncing up and down.

Baekhyun grunts at the sudden weight on his chest, cracking an eye open. Jongdae joins them on a bed, letting Myungdae wriggle on the mattress. Jongdae offers an apologetic smile. Sue him. It’s not his fault their kids are so cute. 

“Who woke this big bad monster up?” Baekhyun asks, squinting at Hayoon.    
  
“I did!” she announces proudly.

“Then there’s a price!” Without giving her time to respond, Baekhyun pounces and clutches her to his chest, trapping her in his arms so he can tickle her mercilessly. She shrieks, “Papa stop!” in between gasping, breathless laughter. 

Jongdae grabs Myungdae again so he doesn’t get crushed in the ensuing battle, leaning against the headrest and watching his little family, heart feeling like it might be too big to fit in his chest.

Baekhyun finally relents, eyes crinkling into half moons as he looks at Jongdae over their daughter’s head. Still giggling, Hayoon grabs Baekhyun, her little hand only able to wrap around a few of her fingers. “Come on, it’s time for presents!” Baekhyun lets her tug him up and out of bed, and he only complains a little bit about how cold it is outside of the covers. Jongdae follows, trying and failing not to chuckle as he imagines them all like ducks in a row, matching plaid pajamas and everything. 

Hayoon gasps as she sees the mountain of presents. Even Jongdae raises an eyebrow. “Looks like Santa really went overboard, huh?” he asks with a pointed look at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun has the gall to not look even a tad bit ashamed. “Guess these two must have been really good this year,” he shrugs. 

Hayoon nods vigorously, before lunging at a present and holding it up with confidence. “This one’s for you, Daddy!”

Jongdae scans the present, before crouching down and pointing out the characters to Hayoon. “Close, sweet pea, but not quite. This is for Myungdae. Can you see how he and I have the same last syllable in our name?” Myungdae leans forward, smacking his hands on the present as Hayoon carefully follows Jongdae’s finger as he traces the characters.

Hayoon grabs another present, squinting at it and mouthing out the syllables. “Is this one for you?” she asks hopefully. Jongdae glances at it and smiles down at her. “Yeah, great job! Now why don’t you find one for Papa so we all have one?”

Hayoon starts digging, pouting when she comes up with the wrong one each time. “This is hard!” she pouts, and to prevent a meltdown Jongdae swoops down and grabs one for Baekhyun. 

“Here you go, hyung~” he murmurs, gleefully reveling in the way Baekhyun chokes on his own spit. Baekhyun shoots him a look that lets Jongdae know he’ll be paying for his words later, but Jongdae just blinks innocently back and busies himself with the baby, instinctively knowing Myungdae is about to drool on his pajamas and wiping it away with a burp cloth. 

“Can I start now?” Hayoon asks, little hands already starting to pick at the edge of the wrapping paper, and Baekhyun freaks out.

He scrambles back into their bedroom, shouting, “Hold on, I have to get the camera!” Hayoon rolls her eyes, looking so very much like her father in that moment that it takes Jongdae’s breath away. Baekhyun careens back around the corner, socks sliding on the hardwood and phone in his hands, video already rolling. “Okay, okay, you can go!” he says, boxy smile so wide Jongdae is afraid his face will split in half. Hayoon doesn’t waste a second, immediately ripping into her first gift with a ferocity not before known to man, squealing in delight when she sees the matching Elsa and Anna dolls. Myungdae gurgles happily, kicking his legs when Jongdae shows him the toy he got, immediately grabbing the star shaped block and trying to shove it into the square hole. 

Carefully sitting down, he holds Myungdae in his lap, simply content to watch Hayoon and Baekhyun rip into all the gifts, both their eyes sparkling. He hopes Hayoon never loses this child-like delight, much like Baekhyun never has. 

Finally, Baekhyun comes over with a little box in his hands, heaving a sigh as he joins Jongdae on the ground. “For you, dear.”

Jongdae kisses him on the cheek in thanks, carefully unwrapping the paper and avoiding Myungdae’s enthusiastically flailing arms. There’s a little navy blue felt box, and Jongdae opens it to reveal two lovely pairs of earrings--one pair of simple diamond studs, and the other a delicate dangling gold chain.

“I like seeing you with earrings in, and I like seeing you all dressed up in things I gave you,” Baekhyun breathes out in his ear, and Jongdae shivers.

“Maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll see these next date night,” he murmurs, and Baekhyun’s eyes darken. It’s a promise, then. Baekhyun also hands him a leather notebook with his initials engraved on the front. “For all those lovely poems and lyrics you write,” he explains, ducking his head bashfully, and Jongdae’s eyes tear up.

“Thank you,” he manages to choke out.

Jongdae thinks his gift is much less special--just a pair of gold cufflinks and bracelet with their names and the date of their wedding engraved on the inside, but with the way Baekhyun looks at him, it’s like he gave him the moon and stars.

He leans over and kisses him briefly, ignoring Hayoon’s cry of disgust in the background. “Remember, we’re hosting Christmas brunch,” Jongdae reminds him as he pulls back.

Baekhyun takes in their living room, littered with wrapping paper and looking like a hurricane blew through it, and the similarly messy dining room, and his face pales. “Oh shit,” he breathes to himself, and Jongdae bursts into laughter. 

“Merry Christmas, love,” he says, lips curling upwards and eyes sparkling with barely concealed mischief, cupping his husband’s face in one hand and pressing their foreheads together. 

Hayoon barrels into them, throwing her little arms around them to create a group hug, and Jongdae closes his eyes in contentment, humming some of that Frozen song Hayoon had been singing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to every one who celebrates it, and expect a little bonus drabble tomorrow :) thanks for reading!


End file.
